The Primacy of Gesture

Our closest primate relatives, chimps, communicate through gestures. So do we. But what astounds me is that they are also capable of creating gestural memes:

And, de Waal adds, if one ape starts using a gesture in a unique context, others in the group are apt to copy it, leading to what’s called “cultural transmission.” The group develops its own dialect of gestures. (Source)

How much more will we learn about ourselves by observing our closest relatives?